Tag Archives: Gloucester

During National Recovery Month, the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) is hosting an exciting benefit concert featuring Cape Ann’s favorite singer/songwriters. Songs for the Angels will showcase Cape Ann’s vibrant music scene — represented by singer/songwriters Fly Amero, Allen Estes, Marina Evans, and Willie Alexander, and introducing opener Quentin Callewaert, plus a special performance from Chief Campanello, among other surprises. All will come together for the crucial cause of fighting addiction, both in our local community and across the nation. Held in the stunning Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, this promises to be a one of a kind concert for a very important cause. You won’t want to miss this one!

About the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI):

The concert will support the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI). In 2015, Gloucester, Massachusetts Police Chief Leonard Campanello and John Rosenthal developed a revolutionary new program aimed at getting opioid drug users the help they need, instead of putting them in handcuffs. PAARI’s mission is to support the Gloucester Police’s ANGEL initiative and to aid other police departments to implement similar programs. PAARI-committed police departments share a common mission: Encourage opioid drug users to seek recovery; Help distribute life saving opioid blocking drugs to prevent and treat overdoses; Connect addicts with treatment programs and facilities; and Provide resources to other police departments and communities that want to do more to fight the opioid addiction epidemic. In just over a year, PAARI has grown into a network of over 150 police departments across the country. PAARI works to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction, turning the conversation toward the disease of addiction rather than the crime of addiction. We work directly with over 200 treatment centers to secure fully-funded scholarships for participants with or without insurance. For more information about PAARI, please call PAARI at (888) 9-PAARI-9 or visit paariusa.org.

Friday, August 12: Marina & Bernardo are so excited to be the third concert in the songwriter series Schooner Serenade! Held aboard the stunning Schooner Adventureas she is docked in her home port of Gloucester, MA, this series features New England songwriters lending their tunes to the valuable cause of preserving this historic ship’s legacy. Marina & Berna will be debuting new music from their forthcoming album, aptly entitled Tide and Stars.

What: Schooner Serenade featuring Marina & Bernardo

When: Friday, August 12. “Doors” at 7pm, and the concert runs from 7:30-9pm

On a sultry summer evening, a hot breeze blows off the land over the cool Atlantic, bringing with it the cries of seagulls and the smells of an industrious downtown. It’s just before 5pm, and already the streets are jammed with workers eager to make an early return home after a long day. I pull around the generous bend of Harbor Loop, catching blue sliver glimpses of the harbor between buildings and street lamps, and park beside the entrance to Maritime Gloucester. The enormous masts of the mighty Schooner Adventure, now moored peacefully at her pier, peek out over the rooftop. The pennant bearing the ship’s namesake flutters in the wind from the highest mast, its swallowtail playful and proud. Fair winds, and warm — perfect for a sunset sail.

The breeze stiffens as the sun begins to set, and by the time all are aboard it’s strong enough to justify a delicate maneuver: departing from the dock under sail, with no help from the motor. The crew hauls the golden sails partway up and they billow and swell as the ship bows elegantly and silently away from her slip. She moves so gently, as if she is embarrassed by her own beauty. A real lady.

Once we’re safely away from the pier and in the middle of the deep harbor — fittingly deemed “Le beau port” by Samuel de Champlain centuries ago — I fall in line to finish raising the sails. Keeping the rhythm set by the crew, we lean and pull, sigh and shout, as the thick, coarse lines give our smooth “city folk” palms a run for their money. “Hey, aren’t you a guitar player? You should be watching those hands!” someone calls to me over their shoulder. I smile and shrug, proud of what little calluses I do have on the tips of my fingers, and oddly relishing the tingle of my now-pink palms. It’s a satisfying kind of suffering, to burn your palms hauling a line: comparable to that good kind of sore after a long run, but somehow more immediate, more fundamental. You’ve got to harness the wind to escape the land.

Today the wind proves itself to be quite the stallion, filling the sails with the joyous bluster of newly discovered strength. Adventure lays back, leisurely, leaning her dark shoulders into the ocean. We pick up speed as we pass the dog bar (breakwater) at the edge of the harbor. The blunt knockabout bow heads south towards Boston; the wind picks up and the ship leans further in, her decks tilting at a sharp angle, the lines beating out an exuberant battle cry against the sails’ taut canvas. The wind increases steadily, as does the frenzy of the singing lines and the heartbeats of all souls aboard. Though she reaches a thrilling speed of just over 10 knots, Adventure is just as graceful flying through the open water as she was in her delicate departure from the dock. Her new rigging relishes the wild wind, and shamelessly sings its praises; her wise old hull, cracked many a time by ice and sea and salt and heat and caulked by generations of seaman’s worn hands, silently drinks in the glory of the ship’s rebirth.

Built in Essex, MA in 1926, Adventure was the last dory fishing schooner left in the Atlantic when she retired in 1953. She was the biggest moneymaker of all time, a “highliner,” having brought in nearly $4 million of cod and haddock throughout her illustrious career as a fishing vessel. She spent the next 34 years windjamming off the coast of Maine, and her speed and elegance earned her the title “Queen of the Windjammers.” Then, in 1988, Captain Jim Sharp (who had owned Adventure since 1965) donated her to the people of Gloucester (her home port) and to Adventure, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: to restore & preserve Adventure in perpetuity; to use her as a research and educational resource; and to sail her as a symbol of Gloucester’s rich maritime heritage. This marks the second full summer Adventure has been back in the water after 20-odd years spent on dry land for renovations. The joy of her resurrection is tangible in the singing lines, the swooping sails, and in the shining faces of captain, crew, and passengers alike.

As we approach Salem harbor, we come about in a broad, smooth arc. The boom swings effortlessly across the deck, and the sails billow and shake for only a brief moment as they find the wind. The Captain catches my eye from his post at the wheel and I pull out my guitar, settling down on a bench, looking towards the bow. Although the wind has died down since the jubilant departure from the harbor, I still have to brace myself (and my mic stand) with one foot steady on the deck, leaning into the weathered boards to keep my balance as I begin to play. At this moment I am particularly grateful for my coastal upbringing, and for my sea legs, without which both I and my precious guitar would probably have ended up overboard.

I play and sing for an hour or so, and the setting throws into sharp relief the fact that I grew up here, that this place and these waters are inextricable from myself and my songs. The sea, the horizon, the rocks, the wind — and the idea of a safe harbor solidified through longing from afar — these things often find their way into my songs and lyrics. These themes are all too familiar to the fishing families of Cape Ann, and have seeped into the island’s culture so that even first generation locals like myself can perceive and appreciate them. My voyages away from home have not been by sea, but they have been far, and frequent. I can understand, at least on the surface, the concept of feeling at home while on the road (or on the water), in flux — the apparent contradiction between the happiness and freedom of travel, and nostalgia for the fixed place in the world that formed you — and I wrestle with this through my music. And as I play, an eerie familiarity settles over me, as if Adventure already knows these songs — she’s heard it all before.

Breathing the salt air and singing into the sunset, it really feels like we are in another world — as if Adventure is floating freely in a summer snow globe filled with flecks of gold instead of snowflakes. We are untouchable here, with nothing but wind and song and sea to fill our hearts. We lounge on the decks alongside ghosts of sailors past, whose feet wore down the boards, whose heads rested below in the fo’c’s’le, whose voices echoed over calm seas or disappeared into furious winds, and we join them in awe and humility before the benevolent, endless, wild sea. And with a reverence far deeper than our own — hard-earned over a 90-year love affair with the Atlantic — Adventure bows and sighs, her hull kissing the wavelets, her sails blushing at their own beauty.

Marina will be performing aboard Adventure with Bernardo Baglioni while the ship is docked in Gloucester harbor on Friday, August 12at 7:30pm. Tickets are $20 / $15 members; for more info, to learn about the ship, and to purchase tickets, visit schooner-adventure.org

Photos: first photo taken & edited by Marina; second photo taken by Peter Souza & edited by Marina

BIG NEWS! I am so excited to be collaborating with the Schooner Adventure on producing Schooner Serenade, a summer songwriter series to benefit this historic ship!

Join us for a unique and intimate musical experience as the sounds of strings and voices mingle and echo from bow to stern, as the sun sets and the stars rise…

This monthly concert series will be held aboard the stunning Schooner Adventure while she is docked in her home port of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and will run from May through August. Featuring singer/songwriters from Cape Ann and beyond performing their original music, this promises to be a series of shows not to be missed.

Beyond being America’s oldest seaport, Adventure’s home port of Gloucester, MA is also a vibrant artistic community that has nurtured and inspired renowned visual artists, poets, and musicians throughout the centuries. Schooner Serenade unites Gloucester’s unique cultural history with Adventure’s crucial mission to educate on maritime, cultural, and environmental issues and to restore and preserve her for future generations love of the sea. Held aboard Adventure while she is docked in her historic home port, Schooner Serenade features talented singer/songwriters from Cape Ann and beyond whose original music and live performances have earned them local, regional, and international acclaim.

A National Historic Landmark, the Schooner Adventure is among the last surviving Grand Banks dory-fishing schooners, the last of the “Gloucestermen”. An icon of the American fisheries and a floating classroom for maritime history and environmental education, Adventure is an invaluable, living monument to our fishing and maritime heritage, both in Massachusetts and America as a whole.

About The Artists:

Allen Estes May 29, 2016

A Cape Ann favorite whose songwriting has earned him co-writes with such illustrious songwriters as Tammy Wynette, Shania Twain, and David Mallett, and whose dynamic live performance has earned him opening slots for such greats as Bonnie Raitt, Earl Scruggs, J. Geils (and many, many more), Allen Estes is a local treasure who is not to be missed. Combining a full, rich voice with exceptional fingerpicking skills and honest, elegant songwriting, Estes masterfully mixes country, folk, and blues in his songs. Learn more at allenestes.com.

3rian King & Nathan Cohen June 26, 2016

3rian King (voice, keys, guitar) and Nathan Cohen (violin, trumpet) are the founders of the neo-cabaret band, What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?. The pair like to bend and blend genres, allowing the song to be what it needs to be in order to express its emotional core. Together they have packed houses in Boston, NYC, and throughout the country. 3rian’s strong gender-defying voice has been compared to Annie Lennox, Alison Moyet, and Amy Winehouse.

His song “Cold Rain” was recorded by New Orleans Soul Queen, Irma Thomas on her Grammy-nominated album, “Simply Grand,” which also features Cohen on violin. Time Out New York advises “catch him as his star rises.” Cohen is fluent in classical orchestral and chamber music, but has also studied and played music all over the globe on remote Pacific Islands, Ghana, Ireland, and Turkey, to name some favorites. Nathan currently runs the Rockport Public Schools Orchestra and Chamber Music program, and is an adjunct professor of music at Endicott College. Check out What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? at www.whattimeisitmrfox.com

Daphne Lee Martin July 12, 2016

Winner of Songwriter of the Year at the 2016 New England Music Awards, Daphne Lee Martin combines a unique vocal style based on the chanteuse sticky-sweetness of Blossom Dearie, the twang of Patsy Cline, and the indie wistfulness of Neko Case with original, timeless melodies and arrangements that hark back to harmony-rich maritime folk songs, tin pan alley writers of the 20s and 30s, and of course, Tom Waits. A songwriter with a mission, Martin has used her music as a means of teaching sustainability, environmental science, and the importance of traditions to the communities of the future during the several years she spent within Pete Seeger’s Hudson River Sloop Clearwater community. Her deep experience uniting community-based initiatives with her unique and award-winning songwriting makes her a perfect fit for Schooner Serenade. Learn more at daphneleemartin.com.

Marina & Berna August 12, 2016

Combining a background in jazz with folk Americana, blues, and an indie edge, Cape Ann singer/songwriter Marina Evans’ sound is all her own. Marina’s strong, sultry vocals and the raw grit of her husband, producer, and musical partner Bernardo Baglioni’s slide guitar bring her unusual melodies and lyrics to life. Having released 3 original EPs and a full length album in recent years – two of which were written and recorded abroad in Bernardo’s native Italy – the pair has toured across the U.S. and internationally. Marina’s passionate live performance has earned her two consecutive nominations for Female Performer of the Year at the New England Music Awards, as well as opening sets for such folk legends as Judy Collins, Jonathan Edwards, and Loudon Wainwright III. Debuting brand new material from Marina’s forthcoming album fittingly entitled Tide and Stars — this dynamic duo is not to be missed. Learn more at marinaevansmusic.com.

This Wednesday, 12/16, I am excited to come together in song with fabulous performer & songwriter Fly Amero in support of Pathways for Children, a local nonprofit whose mission — to educate, empower, and support local children and their families — is vital to our community. Every year, Pathways partners with local businesses for its annual toy and book drive, and has distributed over 1,000 toys to local children & families enrolled in their programming. This drive is special because it is truly neighbors helping neighbors: all toys and books donated stay in our North Shore community! So please, join us this Wednesday at The Rhumb Line in Gloucester – come for the tunes, stay for the good cheer, and if you can, bring a new, unwrapped toy or book to donate!

Nearly one year after their wedding on her decks, Marina & Bernardo are thrilled to return aboard the historic Schooner Adventure to perform an intimate, sunset concert as she cruises around beautiful Gloucester harbor!

The concert will be held on Sunday, August 23 on a late afternoon cruise, from 3-6pm. Tickets are $60 for non-members, and $45 for members; click here to visit the Adventure’s site to learn more & reserve your tickets. This is a rare opportunity to hear local, original music aboard one of the country’s last surviving fishing schooners!

Called “the last of the Gloucestermen,” Adventure is the last remaining fishing schooner built in Essex, MA that features the unique, blunt bow of a working ship adapted to navigating a crowded harbor. After a 20+ year and multi-million dollar renovation, 2015 marks the first summer that Adventure has sailed in decades — a truly momentous moment, and a major feat for the non-profit organization dedicated to the ship’s restoration and upkeep.

Come celebrate Gloucester’s heritage with a cruise aboard the historic Adventure, accompanied by original music by two of the island’s acclaimed young musicians. Come “see how she scoons”!

In recent years, the Cape Ann Clergy Association realized that there was an ever-increasing number of requests to provide care, support, and resources to the homeless on Cape Ann. Following a needs assessment study in 2011, which identified the distinct need for a safe day space for Cape Ann’s homeless, the group formed the Grace Center, a fully staffed day resource center that moves from church to church in and around Gloucester, MA.

Marina became aware of the Grace Center just this past year, and was impressed with the generosity and hard work the group has put forth to help those less fortunate in our community. Theirs is a valuable mission, and (unfortunately) reflects a growing problem Cape Ann faces in supporting an increasing homeless population.

Marina came up with the idea to “come together in song” in support of this important cause. Together with her husband Bernardo Baglioni, as well as a special guest appearance by Gloucester police Chief Campanello, she put on an intimate acoustic performance in one of Gloucester’s beautiful churches. All proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Grace Center, and Marina is proud (and pleasantly surprised!) to have raised over $1,000 in donations to the organization.

“It’s an honor to lend my music to a cause like this, and to support our community the best way I know how — in song,” Marina says. “I have received so much support from my hometown over the years, and I love this place through and through. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to give back!”

Marina Evans, a local singer-songwriter, has been nominated for Female Performer of the Year at the New England Music Awards for the second year in a row.

Her competition in the Female Performer of the Year category in 2015 is Ashley Jordan, Jessie Chris, Sarah Barrios, Faith Ziegler and Anna Lombard.

In this competition, music fans play a significant role in the selection of the winners by voting online for their preferred performers, so Evans is hopeful that Cape Ann fans will cast their votes. Voting is open to the public until March 1; visit nemusicawards.com to vote for your favorite artists, and to learn more about the New England Music Awards.

“The New England Music Awards are presented every year to the musicians who call New England their home and whose dedication, spirit, and achievements over the last year have without a doubt established them as a contributing force to the most robust and diverse music scene in the country,” according to the website.

The nominating committee consists of a variety of music industry experts including journalists, radio personalities, talent buyers, event planners, record label executives and others.

Evans combines a background in jazz with traditional folk and indie rock. Over the past decade, she has cultivated her unique sound. Her career began on Cape Ann at the age of 16. Since then she has performed throughout the United States, in London, and in Italy, and she has written and recorded three original EPs and the full-length album “Unbound.”

Both her new album and her live performances have received high marks over the past year.

“She creates as much dramatic feeling as two gunslingers approaching each other with hands over holsters,” according to Bill Copeland Music News.

She also stepped up to help out in a community service sort of way last year. She performed at a Rockport PTO musical fund-raising event last spring, and in a benefit concert for the North Shore Health Project this past fall. In both instances, the crowd was eager to purchase her music after the show and learn more about her.

Cape Ann musicians are among the singer-songwriters and bands nominated for New England Music Awards, which celebrates and recognizes top performers in the region for their musical achievements. The awards event takes place Saturday night in Lowell.

Rockport’s Marina Evans is nominated for Female Performer of the Year, and Kingsley Flood, whose lead guitarist is from Gloucester, is up for Band of the Year and Album of the Year for “Battles,” released in February 2013.

The nominating committee consists of journalists from music publications, radio personalities, talent buyers, and record label execs representing all six New England states.

[…]

Kingsley Flood band members and Evans are excited about being nominees.

Evans is a rising singer-songwriter, who last year traveled to Tuscany in pursuit of her musical inspiration. She recorded an album in Florence, and has traveled back and forth between Cape Ann and Italy since she studied abroad there in 2008, when she began collaborating with Florentine musicians. Her debut album “Unbound” was released last fall.

“This nomination was a great surprise and an incredible honor. To be included in a group of such talented musicians from all across New England is both encouraging and so inspiring,” said Evans. “I am so grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to make these awards happen. It’s a true testament to the vibrant and unique music scene we have here in New England — and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Prior to her debut album, she released an EP with music she wrote inspired by Dogtown, the wild center of the Cape Ann island, the history of which dates to Colonial times.

Evans received her undergraduate degree in music theory and composition from Columbia University in 2009, but her music career started years before when she started singing in a jazz duo with her older brother. She performs with Allen Estes at the Dog Bar here on Feb. 28.

Gail McCarthy can be reached at 978-675-2706, or at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.

If you go, what: The 2014 New England Music Awards, hosted by Comedian Steve Sweeney and featuring live performances by Sarah Borrello, The Mallett Brothers Band, Will Dailey, Nemes, Dressed for the Occasion, and Hayley Sabella. When: Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. Where: Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell. How much: $10 general admission; at lowellauditorium.com or the box office.

“An aspiring singer-songwriter from Rockport has gone from Dogtown to Tuscany in pursuit of her musical inspiration.”

Many thanks to Gail McCarthy and the Gloucester Daily Times for this article about the Kickstarter campaign for my NEW album, and the bi-continental musical life I have been so fortunate to lead. The article summarizes my five-year history with Florence, Italy and its vibrant music scene, and also highlights how my growing up on Cape Ann (Massachusetts) has continued to inspire me:

“The Dogtown woods have became a sort of metaphor for me: the history there is tangible; the landscape is unmistakable; but at the same time it is a dynamic, organic place that grows anew each spring, despite the permanence of its boulders.”